Improvement in car-couplings



Y 1. B. TRACY.

Br-Couplings.

No. 43,429. Patentedoct. 7,1873.

Zan? WZMJM wmiozf UivrrnnA S'rn'rns ATE JOSEPH B. TRACY, OF LINCOLN,DELAVABE,

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 143,429, dated October7, 1873 application filed May 3. 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known, that I, JOSEPH B. TRACY, of Lincoln, in the county ofSussex and State of Delaware, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Gar0ouplings and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being hadto the annexed drawings making part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a bottom view of the platforms of the cars. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal verticalsection, showing the springs and plates of the buffer and draw-bar. Fig.4 is a transverse vertical section of the same, and Fig. 5 is a section,showing the form of the draw-bar.

The same letters are employed in all the flgures in the designation ofidentical parts.

On the 12th day of December, A. D. 1871, I took out Letters Patent, No.121,823, for provements in car-couplings, upon which my presentinvention is a further improvement.

In the annexed drawings, A Al are the two hook-headed draw-bars, which,when separately coupled by links with the ordinary drawbars, act also asbuffer-heads; but when connected as shown in the drawings, the buffers Bact, by the elasticity of their springs, not only as buffers, but alsoto hold the hooks together. lThis feature, being well known, need not befurther explained. The draw-bars A2 are pivoted on the opposite side ofthe central line of draft, which they cross diagonally to levers D,which are bolted at the end of the long arm to the side frame of thecar. The bars B of the buffer-heads B are placed in the line of draft,and bolted to a frame, O, which slides freely on the rod E, to theforward end of which the short arm of lever D is bolted. A plate, F, isalso fastened to the rod E, so as to move with it backward, and astirrup-plate, F1, fastened to plate F, passes aroimd and incloses theend of frame C, so as to give to the latter an independent movementbetween F1 land F, with the application to the buffer of force onlysufficient to act upon the weaker spring H, but which, when the pressureon the buffer is increased, bearing against the plate F, would alsocompress the spring G, which is placed between the two plates -F and F2.These plates slide in stirrup or frame pieces F3, (shown in Figs. l and4,) so that pressure on the buff er or draw-bars shall act to push backthe plate F, while draft on the draw-bar draws forward the plate F2. Thedraw-bars are sup ported in stirrups I, which permit their lateralmovement.- They are pressed forward by springs K coiled around rods K,and are detached by the lever L. As all these parts are fully describedin my said former Letters Patent it is unnecessary to further describethem. By pivoting the draw-bars on the opposite side of their line ofdraft from their heads, I secure the continued contact of the opposedfaces of the hooks, while the cars remain upon the track, as thetendency of the draft is to hold them together. The intervention of thelever D enables me to secure this useful effect.

I am aware that one set of springs for the draw-bar and another for thebuffer, but capable of being brought jointly into exercise by pressureon the buffer, have been used. By the concentric arrangement of the twosprings, and the arrangement of the stirrups andplates, I obtain thecombined strength of the two springs to resist excessive pressure on thebuffer, while, when the cars are coupled, the weaker spring only exertsits tension against the buffers, while both unite to resist the strainof the draft.

When only one such car is used in connection with an ordinary draw-headand link, the draw-bar may be confined by passing a pin through the holeshown in the stirrup in Fig. 1 at I.

In addition to the features connected with the draw-bar contained in mysaid former Letters Patent, I have introduced the followingimprovements: The spring M is pivoted to the draw-bar, and passesthrough the stirrup I, and has a hole near the end for the rod K to passthrough it, so that the spiral spring K may bear against the spring M,which accompanics the draw-bar in all of its movements, and permits thefree movement thereof without affecting the action of the spring.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The hook-headed drawbar, arranged diagonally across the central lineof draft, .so that the hook is on one side and the pivot on the otherside thereof, substantially as set forth.

2. Ln combination With the draw-bar and In testimony Whereofhzwesignedmyn'ame spring to Which the drztft is applied, the interto thisspeoiieation in the presence of two submedately-plaoed lever, with whichboth are scrbing Witnesses. connected, substantially as set forth.YJOSEPH B. TRACY.

3. In combination with the draw-bar and `buffer-hau', theconeentrieally-arranged springs, p Witnesses:

sliding plates, and stilrups, arranged to' oper- WILMER BRADFORD, atesubstantially as set forth. A. RUPPERT.

